The present invention relates to a driver station for a vehicle, such as a tractor or other agricultural or industrial vehicle. The driver station is of the type comprising a floor and sides and a console and seat for the driver mounted on the floor. The term "console" is used for convenience to denote the assemblage of controls used by the driver, including a steering wheel, levers and/or pedals and an instrument panel.
A driver station as defined above represents the basic structure used in a wide range of vehicles, although this basic structure may be supplemented to a greater or lesser extent by various other features. Thus, a driver station may range from a simple open station through a station with a roll-over protection frame to a station with at least a roof and ultimately an enclosed cab which can incorporate many of the refinements and comforts normally associated with private cars.
A problem existing with present designs is that they have evolved in a relatively arbitrary manner, particularly as the demands with respect to safety and comfort have become ever greater as the years have gone by. In consequence, the manufacturers of a wide range of vehicles is faced with high tooling costs to produce a multitude of parts individual to specific models, high stock inventory for manufacture and spares, and severe logistic problems in keeping proper control of the inventory and supplies to plants and agents.